A report on Mid-term Evaluation of Strømme Foundation Project Nepal

1. Project Description and Background to Evaluation:
Stromme Foundation (SF) Nepal together with its partner organizations is implementing SF project in four districts (Rupandehi, Rautahat, Makawanpur and Surkhet). The project aim to improve social and economic status of 8,400 economically and socially excluded families through active participation in civil society collective efforts. SF uses the approach of “Help for Self help" to combat poverty in the region. The main strategy is to empower individuals, households and communities and thereby reduce vulnerability and increase the capacity, to organize and work as a force. This report is the summary of the mid-term evaluation in order to assess level of progress made by the project. The evaluation process was spread over a period of one month beginning 25 November to 25 December 2013. The evaluation included the activities of the project until the period of November 2013.

2. Purpose/objective:
The overall objective of the mid-term evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of the approaches used and to evaluate the degree of achievement in expected outcomes of the project. The primary scope of the evaluation was the expected outcomes of the project which include outcomes related to community empowerment for democratization, provision of holistic pro-poor financial and non-financial services, empowering adolescents on their rights, and strengthening basic education (both formal and non formal).

3. Methodology:
The methods used for the mid-term evaluation primarily consisted review of available project documents and interaction with project staff. Project documents reviewed during the process of mid-term evaluation include project agreement with SWC, baseline survey report, project log-frame, contract with partners and CSOs and progress reports.

4. Key findings:

Community empowerment for sustainable civil societies:  SF Nepal through its partner NGOs has been facilitating 168 SHGs (small groups) in the working areas.  116 SHGs are involved in advocacy for development and social issues; 49 SHGs are involved in local resource mobilization for local development; 121 SHGs have demonstrated strong internal governance system and 105 SHGs have made linkages and coordination with government line agencies and other service providers. The SHGs have taken initiatives of advocacy for increasing their participation in local level planning and resources allocation.

Provision of holistic pro‐poor financial and non financial services:  3570 families are engaged in SHGs and 2993 families got benefitted from SAMVAD programme. Most of the families are engaged in savings and credit scheme in group level (SHGs and SAMVAD Kendras). 3181 community people, including adolescents, have improved knowledge and skills on-farm and off-farm trades. More than 300 families have received input supports such as seed, fertilizer, medicine spray tank, delivery pipe, goat, candle making machine, etc. and most of them have initiated promising IGAs from such supported inputs. 4721 families are involved in saving and credit activities and 3088 families involved in SHGs have increased their group savings by 25%.

Empowering adolescents on their rights:   5230 adolescent girls and parents are aware on trafficking and other forms of violence, 4123 adolescent girls and parents are actively engaged as watchdog against trafficking in the community, 45 trafficking and domestic violence related cases registered in local government authority, 181 interest groups are involved in anti-trafficking and other social issues in the community and 28 cases related to anti-trafficking and social issues are successfully solved by interest groups.

Strengthening basic education, formal and non formal:  559 children have received the education material support for school re-enrollment, 14 schools have received different supports for the project, 181 non formal learning centers (called SAMVAD Kendras) organized focusing to school dropout children and adolescent girls, 153 children from marginalized/under-privilege families receive the scholarship and other material supports, 49 teachers and members of management committee are trained on the skills and knowledge as needed for the quality education to the targeted children and 29 schools are supported for infrastructure, repair and maintenance for accessing to targeted children for quality education. The enrolment of children from marginalized families increased by 76% from the baseline data.

5. Recommendations:
Based on the findings and analysis of the mid-term evaluation study, the evaluation team came up with the following recommendations:
• The project cycle between SF and prater organization is different. The project is at the mid-term but the agreement made by partner organizations ends at December 2013. The role of partner organizations after December 2013 and the continuation of activities carried out by partner organization needs to be clarified. 
• SF has informed the evaluation team that SF is now planning to implement a five years programme under Strategic Plan (2014-2018) as the continuation and expansion of the existing programme in existing 4 districts and in 3 new districts. SF and SWC should discuss and make consent either on amendment of existing PA or new PA for this timely.
• The evaluation team felt the need of clear and specific exit plan of the project. Project support to the communities still requires but the project seems ending at the mid level.
• The project needs to improve coordination with other I/NGOs working in similar area in the project districts.
• The project has central and district level advisory committee. But there were no regular meetings of these PACs. More intensified meeting of D/CPAC should be made to guide the project both at central and district level.

6. Comments from the organisation, if any: (this section to be filled by the staff responsible in SF’s Regional Office)